The Crystal Method
by Biohazard-Technologies
Summary: When Riku is set to the task of finding Sora by a strange voice...he finds himself facing more then just danger, more then just trouble from his companion, he faces the strongest power of all...the crystals
1. Prologue

HELLO EVERYBODY!!! My name is Biohazard-Remix and I am here to bring you this story.."The Crystal Method" it isn't very good at the moment but this is just the Prologue so hang tight peeps. This is gonna get fun!  
  
The Crystal Method: Prologue  
  
The sun rose lazily on the castle, waking it's inhabitants. All except one, The seventh Princess. She did not wake with the sun because she couldn't. Rune, as was her name, was the Princess of Dreams and Nightmares, represented by the good side of Darkness.  
  
She tossed in her silver satin sheets in the horrid grip of her hybrid cross of dream and nightmare, her long raven hair flaring out around her on the satin pillow.  
  
~*~  
  
Shadowed monsters rose up out of the flooded street around her. She was a little girl and couldn't run very fast so escape was almost impossible. The came towards her, vacant eyes glowing. They tore at her dress with their claws and bared their fangs when she screamed.  
  
A gunshot rang out violently as lightning streaked across the sky. The monsters suddenly fled. She looked up as a shadow was cast over her. She found herself staring into the gentle crimson eyes of a man dressed all in red.  
  
And she felt safe.  
  
~*~  
  
Rune woke up with a gasp. Her hip length Raven hair flew wildly about her for a moment. She grasped at her chest for a moment and glanced about her gloomy room.  
  
The eighteen year old young woman stepped out of bed and swept her eyes over the room once again. The room was nothing special but it was something that the inhabitants of the castle definitely looked down on. The walls were a murky grey and the curtains and linens were all either silver black or red. The dressers bore partially burned candles and odd nick knacks such as skull statues and the like.  
  
The room itself was rather occult and always gloomy and dark as she rarely opened the black curtains.  
  
She swept her hand across the room lighting most of the candles without even moving towards them, such is the power of a Heart Princess. Rune did not know why she was a princess nor where she came from. All she had was that dream. Which had been returning to her a lot lately. She reflected on the dream as she threw on a simple black peasant dress with a grey apron. She slipped on a pair of black shoes and braided her long hair.  
  
She left quietly. Skirting around servants and trying not to be heard by Belle who was sitting on a bench near a large window reading quietly to herself. Rune ducked behind a large pillar and peeked around it at the pretty older princess. Rune liked Belle, she really did, but she really didn't want the young woman to see her dressed as she was.  
  
The other Princess' had never approved of anything Rune did, except for Aurora and Belle. According to the others Rune was too boyish to be a princess. Rune didn't see anything wrong with battling and using weapons but the other's apparently did. Rune rolled her eyes and looked over at Belle. But, unfortunately , the sun decided to come through the windows at that point and shine right into Rune's eyes, the iris' of which were so pale grey that they were almost white and were touched with crimson here and there.  
  
Rune moved quickly into a dark hallway. She rubbed at her eyes trying to get rid of the wretched light that had chosen to plague her. She growled and gritted her teeth. She stopped however when she felt her small fangs rub painfully against her lower teeth. This brought about her typical thoughts about who her parents were and why she had never seen them. All the other princess' knew their parents, why didn't she? Was she not allowed to know?  
  
She was on her way to the throne room to see the king and tell him of her dream when she nearly tripped over him in the hall.  
  
"Whoa!" He cried. "Rune, you seem to be far away."  
  
"Oh King Mickey I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"  
  
The mouse chuckled and looked her over. Rune had always trusted Mickey. He listened to her and was always there for her to run to when she was upset or scared.  
  
"Hmm.." He said. "Pretending not to be a princess again are we?"  
  
"King Mickey, I need to talk to you."  
  
King Mickey looked at the clock that hung on the wall and gasped.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I have to go! I'm sorry Rune I have to go! I have a very urgent matter to discuss with Queen Minnie."  
  
Rune watched as Mickey raced off down the hallway. Urgent? The last time something urgent happened was years ago when Mickey vanished. But Sora had fixed that. Rune followed Mickey down the hallway covertly, using her powers to blend into the shadows perfectly. She watched as Mickey dashed into the conference room before scooting up to the door and pressing an ear against it. She heard Minnie's voice filled with worry.  
  
"Mickey, how could this happen? How could Sora just disappear like that?" She asked.  
  
"I have no clue. But we have to find him." Minne asked him.  
  
"By using the power of Dreams and Nightmares. That way we can find him easily." Mickey replied.  
  
"But that means we'd have to take the power from Princess Rune." Minne said, her voice shaking. "But that would kill her!"  
  
"I know but the doors have opened again and without Sora and the Keyblade, we're helpless! We need that power!"  
  
Rune heard Minne give a light sob. She couldn't believe that Minne was actually crying over her. But why did they want to take her power? Why did they want to kill her. She hardly noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. She put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out in betrayal and sadness. How could they do this to her? How could they betray her? Had she done something wrong?  
  
"We'll have to do it tonight. While the moon is at it's zenith." Mickey said.  
  
Minne gave another sob.  
  
"But why must we do this? She so young!"  
  
"We have no choice. Remember Minne that this is why we brought her here. This is why we took her from her Father all those years ago. So that we could have this power. Just in case something like this happened. And Now that the Heartless are returning, we have no choice but to use this now, to stop them."  
  
Rune couldn't take anymore. She raced off back to her room. Anyone who saw her run by only saw a black streak that was the vampire like princess. She ran past a surprised Belle and threw herself into her bedroom. With a flick of her wrist all the candles went out and she slammed herself hard down onto the bed. She buried her face in her arms and began to cry.  
  
It was then that something in her snapped. It felt as though a new person within her took over. It was the person she was when she fought. A cool collective person that was cold and practically without a heart when they fought. This person had been created by her close friend at the coliseum. The person had taught her to fight and had made her what she was.  
  
This person was the one winged angel, Sephiroth.  
  
Rune had always felt like she was home whenever she was around him. Him and another person who was sometimes at the Coliseum, Cloud. Those two seemed to be like her in more ways than one. As though they were from the same world. She had met them both on one of her runaway outings.  
  
Rune got off her bed and wiped viciously at her eyes. She had to leave, now, if she wanted to survive. She stripped off her dress and pulled out her fighting gear, the outfit she never let anyone at the castle see. It consisted of black leather pants, a black button up, short-sleeved shirt with metal buttons, black leather fingerless gloves, black combat boots and a black trench coat. She threw the clothes on and gazed at herself in the mirror. She quickly took her hair out of its braid and mussed it up a bit so she didn't look like herself. As she looked at herself she realized something was missing. She grabbed a few black and grey leather belts from a drawer and draped them loosely about her hips.  
  
She then got down on her hands and knees and pulled her sword, a Katana much like Sephiroth's, out from under her bed. She also pulled out her hand guns and holstered them at her waist.  
  
She got up and looked about her room. A thought struck her. She began throwing things about and knocking stuff over as though there had been a battle she made a lot of racket and screamed as she did so, making it sound as thought there was a battle going on. She scorched the walls a bit and really made it look awful. She then, hearing people panicking in the halls, threw open her curtains and threw herself through the glass, breaking it. She fells towards the ground in a well controlled plummet and in a shower of glass. She landed on the ground in a crouch, a smirk formed on her face when she heard the guard rushing towards her.  
  
Not letting them see her face she threw blasts of different magics at them. Then, before running off, she threw her head back and in the most evil voice she could muster cried.  
  
"She's mine now! Princess Rune Starstream is mine forever!"  
  
Rune raced out of the castle garden and used her magic to tear a hole in this world. She jumped through the hole and closed it behind her hoping that this tear would take her to a place where she could begin her search for Sora.  
  
~*~  
  
Riku lay dazed on the floor.  
  
It was dark all around him. Very dark. He couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. How long had he been lying there? Where was he? What happened? These questions and more raced through his mind as he got painfully and shakily to his feet.  
  
"Hello?" He called out weakly.  
  
No answer.  
  
He called out again.  
  
"Riku.." Said an odd voice that came from everywhere at once.  
  
"W-who said that?"  
  
"You have been asleep for many years. We have awakened you for we need your help. Sora keeper of the Keyblade, has gone tragically missing. He has been kidnapped we fear and will die if you do not rescue him. Without him, all worlds will cease to exist, we will cease to exist."  
  
Riku thought his ears were drunk or something. He had been asleep for years? Sora was gone? What the hell?  
  
"Wait." He said. His voice sounded different, it was deeper and very silky. "How many years have passed?"  
  
"Three times the seasons have cycled." The voice called.  
  
That hit him like a ton of bricks. That meant he was now eighteen. Wait, he'd been gone for three years? Sora was gone? What about Kairi?  
  
"Riku.." said the voice. "We know your thoughts, we know this is sudden. But you must help us for only you can."  
  
This was all to much. He was eighteen. He'd been gone for three years. Sora was gone. He'd been controlled by Ansem. Ansem!  
  
"We do not know where Sora is but we do Know that Ansem is not behind this disappearance. Will you help us?"  
  
"Do I have a choice? Yes I will help you. But who are you?"  
  
"We cannot say yet. But should you need us look to the stars. We shall equip you know.."  
  
Riku was suddenly encased in a curtain of searing heat and agony. He felt his clothing was torn off and replaced with something else, something dark and comfortable. Something smooth and cold was slipped over his eyes.  
  
"You can no longer see in normal light, you now have new eyes, Eyes that cannot yet see correctly. This blindfold will allow you to see in the light."  
  
He felt two things being placed in his hands, swords of some sort.  
  
"These are our blades, they represent us as they now represent what you are doing for us. You are now our warrior. You must rescue Sora. But first. You must find the only one who can help you. Princess Rune. She is a lost one, taken from her home when she was young. Only she can help you. For she bears the powers of Dreams and Nightmares."  
  
Riku nodded.  
  
"I will find her. And protect her."  
  
"Do not worry about needing to Protect her or finding her, for she will find you and she will defend herself."  
  
Riku nodded again.  
  
He felt something slip about his neck  
  
"This pendant proves that you are our warrior. It will keep you well, it will keep you strong and it will defend your heart. And now it is time for you to begin. The outset is starting and the door is open. To new worlds with you!"  
  
That was the last he heard of the voice for her was suddenly thrown very quickly and very powerfully forward through very cold and damp air, then his thoughts and conciousness were all lost in a very brilliant light. 


	2. Errol

Oh lookie another chapter! About time too. Umm..i'm not sure if I wanna expand on Kairi in this because it takes place in the square soft worlds (games 2-7) I haven't played any higher than that. This should be fun.  
  
Chapter Two: Errol  
  
The rain pored thick and heavy.  
  
It pounded Riku's body unforgivably as he stood there staring up through his blindfold at the neon lights of the city. He was glad to have the thin strip of cloth over his eyes to look through, for without it, he feared he couldn't even look up at the exceedingly dim street lamps.  
  
The street was strangely empty as he walked down it, his trench coat swirling about him in the wind. His booted feet caused tiny splashes in the large puddles as he walked. The young man had absolutely no idea where to go from here. He fingered his pendant, which had turned out to be a dragon curling itself up around a neon purple crystal with a miniscule feather inside it that was no bigger than a thin copper wire. He tucked the pendant down into his shirt to hide it from anything that might decide to attack him.  
  
Riku continued down the street quietly. He knew he was being watched. He knew he was being followed. But he did not care. For some reason he was neither afraid nor worried.  
  
He stopped in the middle of the street and allowed the heartless to pull themselves up out of the ground him. A cruel smirk formed on his face as he reached back and unsheathed his twin dark keyblades.  
  
The shadows surrounded him, ten in all. They growled and snarled at him. Riku merely smirked at them. The shadows attacked all at once, biting and slashing, clawing and gnashing. Riku spun and sliced his blades through them. His pendant swung free and began to glow slightly. He swung the blades around slashing heartless in two whenever they got anywhere near him. He was vicious and almost uncontrolled as he fought, but he never lost his smirk.  
  
Mere minutes later the heartless had vanished, defeated. Riku sheathed his blades and looked down that the crystal. The feather within was pulsating with a dim yet soothing white light. It had somehow reacted to his fighting the heartless. He could feel the crystals' warmth through his gloves. It was gentle and calming, like unconditional love.  
  
Riku slid the pendant back within his shirt and pulled back the hood of his trench coat, letting his hair hang free. His hair had grown in the past years, it was a bit below his shoulder and had become softer and much more silky. But the young man had yet to see his new, older self. It was near the top of his to do list. First he had to get out of the rain, then he had to find out where he was, then he had to figure out where to start looking for Sora.  
  
He ran his fingers lightly through his platinum colored hair before looking about him. It was easier to see without his hood up. He looked up at the sky as lightning spidered across the dark clouds and thunder boomed loudly almost deafening him. Riku covered his suddenly extremely sensitive ears.  
  
He stood up and took his hands off his ringing ears and looked around frantically.  
  
"I've got to get out of here" He muttered to himself, his own silkier voice shocked him slightly  
  
Being older was a bit stranger than he expected it to be. He growled and looked around again. He made his way quietly towards a nearby inn. He stepped inside and had to shield his eyes for a moment from the dim smoky light that filled the room.  
  
The tavern was small. Dust and a bit of cigarette smoke filled the air. The delicious smell of warm, fresh bread filled the air as did the smell of stale alcohol. The soft noise of people chatting was in the air as was the sound of food cooking and the sounds of sleeping from the rooms above. Riku swept his eyes over the assembled people. Many of them were dressed in simple street clothes. Others, in traveling gear. There was one young woman, however, who was sitting in a corner. She stood out indefinitely , but only to him it seemed. She was dressed much as he was. Long raven hair graced lightly down her back and was decently mussed. Her skin was a ghostly pale, almost pure snowy white. He could not see the color of her eyes however.  
  
Riku sat down at a table in the corner near her. The light above them had broken, leaving the two of them in a shadow. The young woman was staring off into space and running her fingers over a small glass of a coppery liquid. The glass looked as though she hadn't even drunken any of it.  
  
"Can I get anything for you dear?"  
  
Riku looked up at the young waitress who was standing over him. She was wearing a simple peasant dress in a chocolate shade of brown and a white apron. Riku nodded to her.  
  
"Can I get a slice of that delicious bread I smell?"  
  
The waitress nodded and blew a purple bubblegum bubble before walking off to get his bread.  
  
Riku looked around the tavern at the people again. His eyes caught on a large grandfather clock that was near the door. It was late, later than he thought. It was near ten o'clock. He thanked the young waitress when she brought him a thick slice of a dark brown bread. He took a bite out of the bread and knew what God fed the angels. The bread was warm and smooth. It practically melted in his mouth and the flavor was amazing. After another bite he knew that God didn't give it to the angels, He kept it for Himself.  
  
Riku ate slowly savoring the taste of the bread. It had a strange effect on him. The bread seemed to push into him a new energy. He felt stronger and ready to fight. He must have been hit by a shadow without even knowing it. He sighed as the warmth in his stomach brought on a mild, and comforting sleepiness.  
  
He looked at the woman out of the corner of his eyes. She still hadn't touched her drink. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed weakly at the smooth blindfold. He was really tired for some reason. He fingered his pendant through his shirt. It was warm against his cold skin. He wondered about the tiny feather that was within the crystal. Where had it come from? What kind of animal had feathers that small?  
  
He shook his head and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He looked over at the clock. It was near ten thirty. The rain was pouring down harder now.  
  
It happened all so fast. The front door burst open and a man burst into the room. He was dripping from head to toe with blood. His clothes were torn up and he was panting.  
  
"Heartless!" he moaned out. "Heartless. After blood."  
  
Riku was on his feet in an instant as was the young woman nearby. His eyes flew to her. She looked back at him. She looked like a ghost. Her eyes were so pale grey that they looked almost white. There were small flecks of crimson here and there in them. Her figure was almost disgustingly slender. Her breasts were decently small and her legs nicely long. Riku was instantly taken with her. He found her strangely beautiful.  
  
"Can you fight?" He asked her.  
  
"Yes, if you can." Her voice was smooth and deeper than her expected it to be.  
  
The young woman reached down at her side and unsheathed a long katana. Riku reached back behind him and unsheathed his keyblades.  
  
"Shadow keyblades?" the young woman asked. "You must be the chosen one."  
  
"If by chosen you mean sent by an odd voice the, yes I am."  
  
"That's exactly what I mean."  
  
"My name is Riku."  
  
"My name is Ru.I mean Errol."  
  
Riku nodded to her.  
  
"Pleased to meet you Errol." He said.  
  
Errol nodded to him in agreement.  
  
"Shall we?" Riku suggested. Hew gestured to the door with his hand and bowed with a flourish.  
  
Errol smirked and ran outside into the pouring rain with Riku at her heels. They stopped in the street and looked down the street. The young man who had burst into the tavern had died in the doorway. Shadows had gathered about the carcass and were ripping it to shreds, feeding off his blood and skin.  
  
Errol flew at the shadows with amazing speed and slashed them and the carcass to pieces in a matter of seconds. She looked at Riku for a minute before looking down the empty street again.  
  
"Here they come." She said.  
  
Hundreds of shadows suddenly began to pull themselves out of the ground around them. They snarled and growled at the two young people. Riku and Errol merely stood there both wearing dangerous looking smirks on their faces while watching the shadows. Riku felt the crystal begin to glow underneath his shirt.  
  
"Don't let them get that crystal." Errol said.  
  
"How did you know about the crystal?" Riku asked quietly.  
  
"I'll explain later." Errol replied. "Right now we have a battle to fight."  
  
The shadows suddenly surged at them as one. The two fighters slashed at everything that got close to them. Shadows dropped to the ground and vanished in twos and threes.  
  
"We can't keep this up forever!" Riku called.  
  
"I know!" Errol suddenly put her sword away and clasped her hands in front of her. She began to mutter under her breath. A bright light surrounded her for a moment.  
  
"Bolt!" she suddenly called.  
  
A bolt of lightning suddenly flew down from the sky and crashed violently into the shadows. There was much screaming from the heartless as more bolts came down causing minor explosions that sent several shadows flying every time. The heartless hit buildings and broke apart with sickening splattering sounds.  
  
"you're a mage?!" Riku suddenly called over the storm  
  
Errol merely nodded and continued raining bolts down on heartless. The heartless where now greatly decreased in number and there was blood everywhere. Errol and Riku were both exhausted and very cut up. Riku's pendant was now shining very brightly. More heartless kept coming up out of the ground. They seemed endless.  
  
"Where the hell do they keep coming from?!" Riku cried.  
  
"I don't know!" Errol cried back.  
  
Riku and Errol soon found themselves backed up against the wall of a building. Both were panting with exhaustion and shaking with cold from the pouring rain. Riku looked over at Errol. She was bleeding from several cuts and he swore he could she blood leaking out through her gloves from the palms of her hands. He knew he didn't look much better.  
  
"Well here it ends." Errol said. "You can't run forever."  
  
Yes," Riku nodded. "It looks like I won't find Sora after all."  
  
At these words Riku felt a sudden loss at the thought of never seeing Sora again. His heart was heavy with sadness as he stood there, keyblades in hand and an angry look on his face.  
  
That was when it happened. The pendant suddenly tore a hole in Riku's shirt as it flew out in from of him. It began to glow with an electric bluish purple flame. The flames exploded outwards at the heartless. The flames formed a great shield around Riku and Errol in the form of a giant heart. The flames formed a path at the point of the heart that lead down the street and around a corner. Riku suddenly grabbed one of Errol's bloody hands and pulled her down the path, both of them running for their lives. The pendant was still out in front of Riku, pulling him down the path. Heartless pulled themselves out of the ground and threw themselves at the flames. They could not however, get through to the two running warriors.  
  
Riku could feel Errol weakening but didn't dare stop. He too was dieing to rest his aching body but they had to escape. Finally after what felt like hours the path led them into an old derelict building far away from the shadows. They two of them burst into the building and bolted the door. The purple fire vanished and the pendant stopped glowing. It fell limply back to rest against Riku's cold and wet chest. Errol collapsed on an old rug on the floor, a small cloud of dust rising up from it. Riku pulled a large white sheet off a nearby couch and collapsed onto the cushions. Riku tugged off his soaked trench before pulling off his shirt and examining the hole in his shirt. Errol sat up and looked at him. "I can fix that if you want." She said quietly.  
  
Riku looked at her. Errol stared right back at him. Riku then realized just how torn up the two of them were. Neither had sustained heavy damage but they did need to get cleaned up.  
  
"Give me a few minutes and I'll cast a cure spell. I need to rest a bit first. White spells aren't my specialty. I've never really practiced with them."  
  
Riku looked at her and nodded.  
  
Errol gently took his shirt from him and looked over the hole.  
  
Riku stood up.  
  
"I'm going to go search the upstairs. You stay here." He said.  
  
Errol looked at him, her ghostly eyes calm. She nodded gently.  
  
"Just be careful."  
  
Riku nodded and headed up the rickety old stairs, the crystal bouncing lightly against his chest. It was dark upstairs but it was more comforting than evil. The rain had begun to come down harder but thankfully the roof was keeping the cold and wet out. The old building must have been an abandoned in of sorts for there were many rooms up here. Large rooms small rooms, dirty and broken bathrooms. Riku grabbed one of the sheets off the bed and wiped at his cuts before casting a low power heal spell on himself at at least stopped his cuts from bleeding.  
  
Riku headed down the stairs again and made his way back to where Errol was waiting. He came upon an interesting sight. Errol was sitting on the couch in nothing but her underwear, her legs folded beneath her. She had Riku's shirt in her hands and was slowly patching up the hole with a thread and needle. Riku looked at the fire that was blazing in the hearth then back at the young woman on the couch.  
  
"you'd best get your pants and boots off before you catch cold." She said. "you can put them on the table over there with my stuff."  
  
Riku did as he was told. He soon joined her on the couch in his nothing but his black silk boxers and stared into the fire. Errol suddenly handed him a sheet that had come off one of the large chairs that were placed around the hearth.  
  
"I shook the dust off it." She said.  
  
Riku draped it over himself. He looked a her. She seemed to have healed herself already. As he looked at her, he thought about his quest that lay ahead of him. Maybe this young woman would be good to keep as a companion. She had fought bravely earlier she hadn't even seemed scared.  
  
"Errol?" He asked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Do you know where we are?"  
  
"We're somewhere in a city called Midgar." She said. "It's on the outskirts of the Kingdom Hearts but is not controlled by it. We should be safe in this building. You can start looking for Sora here."  
  
"How do you know about Sora and the pendant?"  
  
"I had a dream about you and the Voice. And everyone knows about Sora."  
  
"A dream?"  
  
"I'm a bit of a Seer. I have prophetic dreams"  
  
"so, what are you doing here?"  
  
When Errol didn't answer Riku nodded. He knew how she felt. He wouldn't have told her anything if she didn't already know. Though they had just met, Riku trusted this young woman completely.  
  
"Errol?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Would you help me with this quest?"  
  
Errol nodded and went back to sewing. She cut the string and handed Riku his shirt.  
  
"I'd be glad to." 


	3. Midgar

Hey guys I'm back.new chappie..sorry it took so long.not that you care.. oh well here it is.  
  
Chapter Three: Midgar.  
  
Riku awoke gently. His eyes still closed as he had removed his blind fold last night before bed. He picked up the thin strip of fabric and tied it about his eyes. He then looked around the room that he had slept in. it was dark and musty. But the bed had been comfortable and the room had been warm.  
  
His clothes were lying folded on a nearby chair. Riku crawled out of bed and dressed himself quietly. He carried his Keyblades downstairs only to have his nose bombarded with the delicious smell of cooking food. Errol was in the kitchen leaning over the stove. She was stirring something that smelled wonderful.  
  
"What's that delicious smell?" He asked.  
  
Errol didn't say anything instead she motioned for him to take a seat at the kitchen table. Riku sat down and Errol brought him a plate that had a small amount of some odd looking fruit, bread and something that looked like eggs.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm not that good of a cook." Errol said. "But it is edible."  
  
Riku took a bite of the eggs. It was nothing earth shattering but it did taste good. He took a bite of the fruit and was decently pleased with it's cherry like taste. The bread was wheat and had a bit of butter on it, that practically melted in his mouth.  
  
"It tastes fine."  
  
A tiny smile crossed Errol's face and then was gone. Riku ate silently, thinking of Sora and other things. Then an odd thought crossed his mind that he just couldn't keep to himself.  
  
"Errol, how do I look to you?"  
  
"You look fine."  
  
"No, that's not what I mean. "Riku said. "Am I handsome?"  
  
Riku had looked at himself in the mirror last night and had found himself to be a decently attractive young man but he had been dying for another opinion. He knew it was stupid and that Errol was probably the wrong person to ask but he had to know. He became uneasy when Errol didn't say anything. But when he looked at her there was a very light blush on her face that only added to her beauty.  
  
Errol stood up suddenly and turned off the lights. Riku, confused, raised an eyebrow. Errol closed the curtains, so that only a few bits of grey sunlight slipped through. She looked at him.  
  
"I have yet to see you completely." She said. "Please remove your blind fold. I'd like to see your eyes."  
  
Riku reached up and gently untied his blindfold. He slipped it off quietly. The grey light was like a shock to his new eyes. It hurt a bit but not as bad as he guessed the sunlight on a clear day would. He gasped anyway and covered his eyes. Once he got over the initial shock of the light he brought his arm slowly down from his eyes and looked at Errol. He could see her perfectly, even better than when he had met her last night. He could make out every aspect of her face with these new eyes. She was beautiful.  
  
Riku almost smacked himself. What was wrong with him? He was supposed to be in love with Kairi. And he was. Wasn't he? Kairi was pretty and sweet. She was graceful and seemed like she needed protection. But for some reason, Riku didn't like the idea of that in a woman anymore. Now that he had seen how Errol really didn't need his help to defend herself, he was beginning to think otherwise about his choices in women.  
  
~*~  
  
All Errol could do was stare at those eyes.  
  
His eyes.  
  
They were so beautiful. They glowed slightly in the darkness as though they had Mako energy in them. They were a soothing aquamarine color, deep and calm. His pupils her a smooth electric blue that almost couldn't be seen amid the aquamarine of his iris'.  
  
He truly was handsome. No, he was beautiful. Which was an odd category to put a young man in. But it fit him. What with his silky Platinum hair and his extremely pale skin, that he got from being in the darkness for so long.  
  
"They really do like you..don't they?" She asked.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"They Voices." She looked at him again. "You're positively earth shattering Riku."  
  
There she had said it. She could feel herself blushing even more. She could have smacked herself right then and there. What should he care what she thought of him? "Do you really think so?" He asked her.  
  
Errol nodded weakly and almost jumped when she felt him put a hand on her shoulder. He turned her towards him and looked down into her blushing face.  
  
~*~  
  
Riku gazed softly into Errol's ghostly eyes. She kept blushing prettily. He searched her face for a moment before running his gloved fingers down the side of her face, cupping her cheek in one of his palms. She seemed so small and fragile to him now, as apposed to last night when she had been tough and almost unmovable. He smiled weakly down at her.  
  
Errol merely looked up at him in silence for a moment before:  
  
"We should go." She said, stepping away from him. "We need to find Sora."  
  
Riku looked at her. She looked as though she were wearing a mask that was devoid of emotions.  
  
"Put your blindfold back on. You'll hurt your new eyes." Errol said rather coldly.  
  
Riku nodded and replaced his blindfold. He rubbed at his eyes for a moment before Errol opened the curtains again to reveal a soft drizzle to be pattering against the windows.  
  
"Do you know of anywhere that we might be able to find some information on Sora's whereabouts?" Riku asked after a moment.  
  
"The slums would be a good place to start."  
  
Riku nodded.  
  
Minutes later the two companions were standing out in the cold morning staring at the grimy city around them. It looked awful. The ground on with they stood was covered with mud and garbage. They could hear rats skittering around in the shadows.  
  
"So this is Midgar." Riku said with disgust.  
  
Errol looked around them and kicked a small bit of garbage away from her. They walked quietly down the street trying to ignore the chilling drizzle that was tumbling down on them. Errol growled low in her throat at a huge sewer rat that stepped in their path.  
  
"So how do we get to the slums?" Riku asked.  
  
"You don't wanna go there."  
  
Both turned to see a young woman with chocolate hair standing in the doorway of a nice looking bar called the 7th heaven. She smiled at them gently her scarlet eyes filled with welcome.  
  
"Come on inside." She said. "I may be able to help you."  
  
Errol and Riku exchanged a glance and followed the young woman inside. The woman carried herself with beauty and grace but still could not stop her ample bosom from bouncing a bit. She slid behind the bar counter and picked up a glass, cleaning it out with a cloth she looked at them.  
  
"My name is Tifa Lockheart." She said after a moment. "It seemed as though you were looking for someone of importance."  
  
"Yes, we're looking for the keyblade master Sora." Riku replied.  
  
Tifa put down the glass and looked at the two of them directly in the eyes after looking around at the inhabitants of the bar.  
  
"I can help you after all," She whispered. "But first I need some proof that you are trying to rescue him."  
  
Riku reached into his shirt and pulled out the pendant. Tifa reached out slowly and held it in the palm of her hand. She let it fall back to his chest with a smile.  
  
"It is you then." She whispered. "The chosen heroes."  
  
Riku tucked away the pendant and looked back at Tifa ,who leaned in close.  
  
"Far north of here there is a frozen city called Narshe. In this city lives a man named Arvis. If you mention my name he will tell you everything he knows about what happened to Sora. And trust me he knows a lot. Arvis knows of a way to find him without the use of the power that Mickey was going to take from Princess Rune. The poor dear. How could he even think of killing her like that."  
  
Riku felt Errol stiffen but paid no attention to it.  
  
"No one in the kingdom hearts knows that he was going to kill her of course but we do." Tifa continued.  
  
"How?" Riku asked.  
  
"Because Cloud told us." Tifa answered. "He came back and told us that she had faked her own kidnapping so that she could get away. And if you ask me that's one smart girl."  
  
"How did Cloud know this?" Errol asked suddenly.  
  
"Because the sword the one-winged angel had given to her was gone. As was her training gear." Tifa said to her with a wink.  
  
Riku however didn't catch the wink but Errol did and she fought the urge to smile at the young woman.  
  
"This isn't good," Riku said. "I have to find her! She's supposed to help me find Sora!"  
  
"I don't see what you're so worried about. She shouldn't be too hard to find."  
  
Riku nodded to her.  
  
"Thank you for your help."  
  
"Why did you help us?" Errol asked.  
  
"Because," Tifa said. "You remind me of someone I used to know. You look just like him too. You have the same shade of crimson in your eyes as he does. You could be his double if your eyes were all crimson and didn't have that lovely grey. You act like him too."  
  
Errol nodded and let Riku lead her out of the bar.  
  
"Thank you Tifa!" Errol called back to her.  
  
"You're very welcome Princess Rune." Tifa whispered.  
  
~*~  
  
Sora groaned and opened his eyes only to find himself chained down to a thick slab of ice. He pulled against his bonds only to hiss in pain. He settled back against the cold ice and looked around him at the icy wall of the cavern that he was in.  
  
"Don't pull," chuckled a feminine voice. "You'll only hurt yourself more."  
  
Sora almost screamed as what looked like a monster leaned over him. It was a woman with long whip like blue tentacles for hair, and blueish green skin that pulsated as though it were constantly moving. She looked semi-human but was terrifying to look at. She smiled wickedly then threw her head back and cackled.  
  
"Oh Jenova, be quiet." Said a high pitched male voice. "That gets ever so slightly annoying. "  
  
The "woman" called Jenova looked off to the side and leaned back and away from Sora. A man wearing excessive clown make up and a long golden robe walked out of the shadows and fluffed up the feathers in his hair.  
  
"Oh Kefka, you never let me have any fun." Jenova whimpered.  
  
Kefka rolled his eyes and looked down at Sora with a wicked smile on his face.  
  
"Well well, young Sora." He said. "You're finally awake. Welcome to our humble lair."  
  
"Thanks for the welcome, but I'd rather be going home now." Sora muttered.  
  
Kefka threw his head back and gave off a high pitched cackle.  
  
"I'm sorry little fellow but you're stuck with us."  
  
Sora groaned while Jenova and Kefka both cackled insanely.  
  
'Why do I always end up with the insane villains?' he thought.  
  
Ok.that was a bad chapter but please review it anyway! 


End file.
